Punjab CM Mann calls Rural Development Dept meeting, are panchayat elections around the corner?

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, July 19

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has convened a meeting of senior functionaries of the Local Government and Rural Development departments on Friday afternoon, besides the Chief Secretary, State Election Commissioner and the Advocate General.

This has raised speculation of the AAP government announcing elections to the urban and rural civic bodies – Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zila Parishads.

Elections to 13,241 Panchayats are due to be held after these were dissolved and administrators appointed.

Elections to five Municipal Corporations of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Ludhiana and Patiala are also due.

The terms of other rural civic bodies would come to an end in November.

Just two days back, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had hinted that he wanted to push his development programmes and implement these before he seeks people’s mandate for the rural and urban civic polls, as well as the four assembly by polls of Dera Baba Nanak, Chabbewal, Barnala and Gidderbaha. He had also hinted that the civic polls could be held after the assembly by elections, expected to be held simultaneously with the Haryana Assembly polls.